CNA file photo

Taipei, July 31 (CNA) Taiwan's foreign ministry said Monday that a recent trip to the Caribbean region by Foreign Minister David Lee (李大維) was planned for only two of the country's diplomatic allies, not five, as reported in the local media.

The main purpose of Lee's trip to the region earlier in the month was to attend a conference on development work in Latin America and the Caribbean, which was held in the Dominican Republic, said foreign ministry spokeswoman Eleanor Wang (王珮玲).

After the conference, Lee visited several areas in the Dominican Republic then went on to Belize, Wang said.

Those were the only two countries on his itinerary, she said, responding to Taiwan news reports that three other diplomatic allies in the region had rejected Lee's plan to visit.

The three Caribbean countries named in the media reports were St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and St. Christopher and Nevis.

Lee visited the Caribbean and Central America July 22-28, attending the conference in the Dominican Republic, visiting Taiwan-funded projects and holding discussions with senior government officials, according to Wang.

Lee's visit to Belize was at the invitation of his Belizean counterpart Wilfred Elrington and he was the guest of honor at a dinner hosted by Belize Prime Minister Dean Barrow, Wang said.

(By Ku Chuan and Evelyn Kao)
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